UAE relaxes travel restrictions for Indian residents; ban on transit flights also lifted

The United Arab Emirates will lift the ban on entry of passengers from India and five other countries from 5 August, the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) said on Tuesday.

While restrictions on travel from India to UAE are still in place, those Indians who have a valid residency permit and are fully vaccinated -- at least 14 days prior to the travel -- are included in the exempted category.

The UAE government also said that unvaccinated people in certain job categories can seek permission to return from the same date as well.

The categories include medical workers, teachers at schools and universities in the Emirates, students, residents with extenuating circumstances, people undergoing medical treatment in the UAE and people who work for federal or local government agencies.

The passengers will need to apply for online entry permits prior to travelling and would need to present a negative PCR test taken 48 hours prior to departure.

Further, the UAE will also relax the restrictions on India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Uganda.

NCEMA said on Twitter that passengers travelling from countries where flights had been suspended would be able to transit through its airports from Thursday as long as they present negative PCR tests taken 72 hours prior to departure.

Final destination approval would also have to be provided, the authority said, adding that UAE departure airports would arrange separate lounges for transiting passengers.

Ban on travel

International flights from India to Dubai were suspended on 22 April when the second wave of Covid-19 was raging across the country. However, transportation of passengers from the gulf country to India was allowed.

The ban also applied to transit passengers, with the exception of transit flights coming to the UAE and heading onward to India.

“It will also allow the transfer of exempted groups from India to the UAE with the application of the aforementioned precautionary measures. These groups include UAE citizens, diplomatic missions appointed by the two countries, official delegations, those on businessmen chartered flights, and those holding golden residency," the UAE government had said.

The exemptions were only provided if they undertook preventive measures, including quarantine for 10 days and a PCR test at the airport, as well as on the fourth and eighth days following the entry into the country.